


You (don't) Suck At Love

by Canadiantardis



Series: Cana's Bad Things Happen Bingo [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Creepy character, F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff and Angst, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Minor Violence, Obsession, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, Threats of Violence, emphasis on creepy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23453908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canadiantardis/pseuds/Canadiantardis
Summary: Disregarding whatever could possibly coat the walls of the bathroom, Pidge pressed her back forcefully onto it, taking a shaky breath. Gods, why did Ricardo have to show up? One night, one function where she didn’t have to feel his eyes on her every move. She knew he was… intense, all her other female co-workers complained about him, but they also always said he was completely harmless. He never actually did anything against her, besides the staring, the too-kind words that set off every alarm bells, and the constant praise for every little bit of work she’s done. It was demeaning, the way he spoke to her, made her feel oh so small. She hated it, but what could she do? It wasn’t like he was stalking her home, right? He was just… intense, that’s all it was.Right?
Relationships: Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt, One-sided Pidge | Katie Holt/OC
Series: Cana's Bad Things Happen Bingo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674190
Comments: 27
Kudos: 43





	You (don't) Suck At Love

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't a specific request from any one person, but when I showed my BTH Bingo card to the plance discord server, a lot of people started talking about "If I can't have you" and there was enough interest for me to take it as a prompt! Enjoy one of my longest one-shots yet!  
> I also might have been listening to "You Suck At Love" by Simple Plan on repeat for a good portion of writing

Katie’s smile was blinding. The way her face lit up when someone spoke about something that piqued her interest, her eyes soft like honey and bright like amber when she was able to ramble about whatever interested her even if her cheeks dusted the fairest shade of pink. Her hair was the most gorgeous shade of caramel, tied in a delicately loose bun except for the bangs that frame her face. She was beautiful in body and in mind.

_God,_ her mind was stunning. She spoke with the knowledge of a hundred scientists, the skill of a thousand engineers, and the practical know-how of any field researcher decades older than her.

He watched her laugh with one of her friends, the Samoan who he had yet to learn his name, despite having been working there longer than Katie had been. Her friend was louder, his deep guffaws catching the attention of others around the room, but by now, most were used to the man’s mannerisms, even if they had never formally spoken to him. These functions were large, and there was only so much time at them for getting to know every single person. Not that he was necessarily fond of talking to more people. Oh no, that meant less time to observe the brilliant young mind of Miss Kathleen Holt.

Her eyes fluttered open and glanced around the room and for only a second, he felt her eyes on him. It was as if a lightning bolt struck him, the event happened so quickly before she cast her eyes away before landing on another person close to the entrance of the room. She tapped her friend quickly, excitedly, before pointing in the direction of whoever or whatever caught her attention.

Following her point, he and her Samoan friend saw a young, gangly man with his head on a swivel. He straightened when he seemed to find what he was looking for, and made his way quickly towards Katie and her friend, hugging both one at a time with a laugh and an exclamation.

“Hunk! It’s been so long, bud.” He embraced the Samoan - Hunk, he filed the name under Katie’s friends - as much as he could, as the larger man picked him up in a bear hug. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“Course, man. I’ve been trying to get permission to invite you for a while, but they’ve always been for couples.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not nearly good enough for you like Shay is.” The gangly man released Hunk to turn to Katie and enfold her in an embrace as well, bending down to lift and twirl her, surprising a yelping laugh out of her that was music to his ears, even if it felt off given who got the sound out of her. “Pidge, it’s been so boring without you being my partner-in-crime. Keith’s been driving me up the wall.”

“Are you sure it isn’t _you_ driving _him_ up the wall?” Katie wrapped her arms around the gangly man’s neck, and something curdled in his guts. He didn’t like the new man. He wasn’t sure why, but he was bad news.

“Oh no, I’ve been doing that, but because you’re not with us, he knows it’s me any time I want to do something fun.”

“You’re such an idiot, Lance.” Her expression was fond exasperation, and from this distance, he wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light or if she had pink dusting her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

“Maybe, but I never claimed to be the brains of our little duo.” The gangly man - Lance - laughed, letting Katie go. “The others miss you too, but we’re so happy with all you’ve done since you left.”

Now he couldn’t mistake the blush on the lovely lady’s cheeks, and she looked bashful. Her words were too quiet to hear from where he watched.

The conversation became quieter as it seemed personal stuff was being brought to the forefront, and he could not let it stand to not know what the brilliant Katie was talking about, what her past might have been like prior to joining his workplace. He slipped between other groups around the room, approaching as subtly as he could.

“...lura misses you a lot too.” Lance said, once he was in earshot. “She’s been complaining the entire floor smells like testosterone and she’s, like, drowning.”

“That sounds like her.” Katie laughed, a beautiful thing. Anything she said or did was beautiful. Absolute perfection. “But weren’t you looking for a replacement for me?”

“We’re still looking for someone who would be the perfect fit in the team, but you know Keith. He hates it when change happens. Remember when Shiro had that surgery and was out for half a year? Keith went super saiyan at the _thought_ of someone taking his place, even for a small amount of time.”

That got both Katie and Hunk laughing. He couldn’t help himself from smiling into his drink he held to look busy at the sound of her amusement.

“Right, I forgot who I was talking about. You’d think he’d’ve learned when Hunk transferred. I love him, but Keith is such an angry worrier.”

“He was like this when I left?” Hunk asked, a laugh on his lips.

“Ohhh yeah.” Katie nodded, serious, and Lance nodded solemnly. “Getting a new mechanical engineer was a nightmare with him pointing all the flaws out. Either it was the actual work, or it was the fact they didn’t know how to make food for themselves, or this, that or the other. The new guy, Coran, somehow managed to sate him enough for us to hire him.”

“Oh right, you still haven’t introduced me to him yet. Maybe I can pop in to visit the team.” Hunk’s eyes widened and he gave a huge smile to his friends. “Oh! Maybe Pidge and I could both come visit together! Everyone wins, and if you have any potential Pidge-replacements, she can help.”

“Yeah? I’ll have to talk to Shiro about that, but I think he’d love you two to visit for a bit.” Lance sounded thoughtful. He didn’t like this man even more, and the curdled feeling grew.

“Good. Now, I gotta call Shay.” Hunk stepped away from the two.

“Yeah, give her my thanks and well-wishes! She’s not too badly sick, right?”

“Morning sickness I think. It’s bad, she’s been taking time off work because it’s been getting to her.”

“Is she absolutely sure she wants this baby?” Katie asked, causing Hunk to falter in his steps. “Are you both really ready for this step?”

“We’ve… talked about it.” Hunk looked around them, and he quickly turned away when the Samoan's head swivelled over him. “I’ll talk to you both after this call. She’s expecting me in, like, two minutes.” He waved to them before walking away.

With him gone, the two looked at one another, and he frowned. They seemed to have a silent conversation he wasn’t privy to. How could a man like that be friends with her, he wondered. It made little sense, even if they had once been co-workers. He wasn’t smart, not in the way he or Hunk or Katie were - and he had to admit Hunk was rather smart if he was working here - in fact, he seemed fairly… average. How could this Lance and his Katie be close enough to know what to say without utterly a syllable?

“It really is good to see you again.” Lance said finally, a hand running through his hair, clearly attempting to be suave and failing so badly. “I know I was joking before, but it hasn’t been the same without you and your snark.”

“Me too. It’s been so hectic, settling here and stuff. I miss the chaos of the floor, and break-time with Allura.” Katie’s tone was soft, nostalgic. He glanced over to see the dusting again. He hadn’t known her to blush so beautifully for something so plain and mundane. It didn’t sit right in him.

“Yeah, she’s been complaining about that too. We’re hoping the next hire we see will be the perfect fit, but right now, no dice.” Lance laughed softly, shaking his head.

“I don’t think you’ll find anyone as _great_ as I am,” Katie and Lance laughed, “but you’ll find someone who’ll fit right in.”

“I know. You might have to tell that to Keith, though. He’s as stubborn as an ass.”

“Don’t worry, when me and Hunk visit, I’ll kick his ass back in gear. The only stubborn one in the team was me.” The two laugh again.

He couldn’t take it anymore. They were too… _cozy_ and it made his skin crawl. He walked the rest of the way towards the two confidently.

“Miss Holt, it’s a pleasure!” He greeted, extending a hand graciously to her, doing his best to ignore the man beside her.

“Oh! Ricardo! I didn’t realize you were here.” Katie hesitantly smiled, and took his hand slowly. It was cute to see her so shy whenever he approached her.

“Yes, I was wondering around the function when I heard your voice.” He said smoothly, smiling pleasantly as he gave her hand a nice squeeze before letting it go, rather reluctantly. “Thought I would just pop up to say hello, and whatnot. You know how it is.”

“Uh, yeah, yeah.” She glanced away, almost shyly, and turned to the other man he was trying very hard to completely ignore. “Oh, Lance, this is one of my colleagues. Ricardo, this is a friend of mine. We used to work together, just before I transferred here. The Voltron Project.”

“Oh yes, indeed?” He raised a skeptical eyebrow at the other man. “And, uh, what did you work on?”

Lance seemed taken aback by the attention, or the subtle glare he gave him, and took a moment to simply stare before he found his brain again. “D-design, actually. I’m not tech savvy like Pidge here, or even Hunk, but I have a good eye for beauty and aesthetics.”

He hummed, unimpressed, but at least tried to _look_ like he cared. “Is that so. I’ll have to check out the design again, since I have normally ignored it to see the wonderful mechanics inside. Really, Katie, what you, and Hunk as well, have done with that machine is just phenomenal.” He saw how Katie twitched at her name, and he had to guess she liked hearing it come from him.

“Uh, yeah, thanks. I guess.” She crossed an arm over her petite chest, grabbing her other arm as if to make herself that much smaller and more adorable. He loved how she got so docile around him, it was very sweet.

“You are very welcome.” He smiled warmly at her.

“I’m… I’ll be right back. Lance, if Hunk comes back, tell him I went to the bathroom, yeah?” Katie stepped back hesitantly, and he wondered if she was reluctant to leave him with Lance. She nodded to him with a faint, barely there smile on her face. “It, uh, it was good seeing you again, I guess, uh, Ricardo?”

“It’s always nice to speak with you too, Katie.” He nodded at her as she turned and hurried to the bathrooms. His smile stayed in place until she was completely out of sight before it dropped completely. He glanced to Lance, who was looking at him. The man’s expressions were like an open book, unlike his own. While he would rather make sure no one like him was near his Katie, he had no way to make sure of it with him. Instead, he simply gave a curt nod to him and turned without a word.

* * *

Disregarding whatever could possibly coat the walls of the bathroom, Pidge pressed her back forcefully onto it, taking a shaky breath. _Gods,_ why did Ricardo have to show up? One night, one function where she didn’t have to feel his eyes on her every move. She knew he was… intense, all her other female co-workers complained about him, but they also always said he was completely harmless. He never _actually_ did anything against her, besides the staring, the too-kind words that set off every alarm bells, and the constant praise for every little bit of work she’s done. It was demeaning, the way he spoke to her, made her feel oh so small. She hated it, but what could she do? It wasn’t like he was stalking her home, right? He was just… intense, that’s all it was.

Tears pricked her eyes, but she couldn’t understand why. She wasn’t sad, but something overwhelmed her and she gasped, trying to think properly.

Rubbing the tears away, and ruining the little amount of makeup she actually attempted to put on for _~~Lance~~ _the function, Pidge sagged against the wall. She felt bad for leaving Lance like that, but Ricardo always made her feel so… gross. Less. She didn’t know how to explain it, but she had to get away before she burst in front of the guys. Suddenly, she felt a pang of longing for Allura. She’d know what to do, she always did. She took no shit from any of the guys, and would actively call them out when they were in the wrong.

Pidge had thought she could do that for herself, but when it came to Ricardo… She didn’t know, it was different with him. Something about the way he looked at her, or the way he spoke to her, made all the fire in her falter, made her unsure how to proceed. And she _hated it._

After a couple minutes of breathing and trying hard not to cry again, she straightened up and went to the rows of sinks, gripping the counters for dear life and stared at her reflection. Her small bit of eyeliner and mascara was running, from her rubbing the tears away. She’d either have to take it all off or reapply and fix it, and it took so much effort just to put it on in the first place.

With a sigh, she turned on the tap, cupped her hands under the water, and splashed her face a bit. She was going to reapply the eyeliner, at least, and cursed the fact she didn’t have waterproof makeup. Allura had been the one to even encourage her to wear makeup in the first place. She didn’t normally, but since Lance had said he was going to come with Hunk since Shay was too ill, she thought _what the hell._

Pidge rubbed her eyes and got most of the makeup off after a couple more splashes and drying her face with the paper towel. A couple other women walked in as she cleaned up, but neither side said a word to one another, simply noting the other was there before going about their business. She got her eyeliner and touched it up a bit before she sighed, bracing herself. She desperately hoped Ricardo was gone when she stepped out of the bathroom. She _just_ wanted some time with her friends at a fun little function. She wanted to have _fun, damnit._

Taking a deep breath, Pidge left the woman’s bathroom and headed back to where she had abandoned Lance with Ricardo, and almost melted when she only saw her friend standing there awkwardly. All the same, her shoulders relaxed and she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

She got back to him just a moment before Hunk returned, and she smiled at both of them, banishing the memory of the encounter with Ricardo from her head. It had been too long since she and Lance were able to hang out, and she was going to let herself enjoy herself, even if she noticed his glances throughout the night.

xXx

It was way late when Pidge announced she was going to head home to sleep.

“My feet are killing me, and I even wore my old retail shoes.” She complained to Hunk and Lance when she said she was heading out. “I’m so tired. I’ll see soon, Hunk.” Her eyes flitted to Lance and smiled at him. “Text me when you’re free next, it’s been so long since we just got to hang out.”

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination - or maybe it was her hope imagining it - but Lance’s smile grew wide and his face looked redder than normal. “Course! Course, Pidge, I’d love to hang out with you more again.”

His eyes seemed to spark as an idea struck him. “Actually, I could, you know, walk you home? Or to your car? Do you live far?”

Pidge’s jaw went a bit slack and she was sure she was blushing with how warm her face felt. She looked away from him with a small smile as she answered. “I live pretty far, I drove here.”

“Then how about I carpool with you?” Lance suggested, and if Pidge was paying more attention, she would have seen the funny look Hunk gave him. As it were, she could only focus on the soft smile on Lance’s face. “Hunk wouldn’t mind, would you, big guy?”

Hunk looked at Lance for a moment before he chuckled and nodded. “No, I don’t mind too much. Getting to go straight back home to Shay’d be nice. I hope she’s actually asleep, I told her she needs all the rest she can get while she can.” He chuckled again, and the other two joined in.

“I still can’t believe you two are going to be parents.” Lance commented as the three headed for the front door, and Pidge shivered as the cool night air nipped her bare arms.

“It’s crazy, yeah.” Hunk laughed. “But we’re both really excited. Once all the morning sickness goes away and stuff, we’re going to go ham on baby-proofing the house. I’d do it myself, but Shay gets out those kicked-puppy eyes when I say I want to start as soon as possible.”

Pidge and Lance laughed at that. It was easy to imagine the tall woman wrapping her husband around her little finger. Hunk was ridiculously soft with her, despite her working in carpentry, and was actually a good head taller than him.

“Give Shay my love. We need to hang out again soon, outside functions, and definitely before she has a baby shower.” She called as Hunk began walking off to his car, while she and Lance walked another way to hers. “See you tomorrow, Hunk!”

“Seeya, bud!” Lance called, waving to him until Hunk waved back and got into his car.

The two reached Pidge’s old car, and after she unlocked it and slid into the driver’s seat, she felt herself relax fully since the encounter with Ricardo. She practically melted into her seat, hanging her head for a moment to compose herself.

“You okay there, Pidge?” Lance’s voice caused her to snap her head back up. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to startle you. You just looked really exhausted.”

“Ah, yeah, yeah, I’m okay.”

“Was it that co-worker of yours?” Damn Lance and his sharp eyes.

She nodded, letting out a long sigh. “He’s… okay, he’s okay I guess, but he creeps me out.”

“How so? Have you ever brought it up to HR?” Lance shifted in the passenger’s seat to look at her fully, which she decided was the _perfect_ time to turn the engine on and start driving.

“No,” Pidge shook her head, keeping her eyes on the roads as they left the parking lot. “He hasn’t _done_ anything like harass me or anything. I just… He keeps staring at me, and the way he talks to me…”

“Yeah, I thought it was weird the way he talked. Like he has a stick up his ass.” Pidge chuckled at that, and she glanced over to see him smiling widely. “But seriously, if he’s creeping you out, why don’t you tell him to go away?”

“Because… I don’t think he’s doing it intentionally.” It was the only rational reason, she believed. “Maybe that’s just how he is. The other girls in my lab have said the same thing. He gives off this major creep vibe, but he’s harmless. He’s just, like that. He’s smart, but everyone else says he’s just awkward around women.”

“I don’t know, Pidge. If you’re creeped out by him so badly that you need to excuse yourself to get away from him…” _Damn Lance and his smart observational skills._ “You should bring it up with HR, or tell him off. You deserve to feel safe in your own workspace.”

“I am though!” She argued, and it was true. She felt safe in her work area, because he was rarely allowed in it. They barely ran into each other. “I just…” She groans in the back of her throat. “I don’t want to say something in case it really is just how he is. I’d feel like a bitch.”

“But, Pidge-”

“No, I’m fine, Lance.” She stated, ending the conversation. “I don’t… What are you working on? Now that the Voltron Project is finished.”

Lance is quiet, and Pidge can feel his concern but focuses on the road. He finally speaks after they get to a stop light, going along with her prompt and leaving the whole Ricardo thing alone. Soon the entire conversation is like a distant memory, and the two are back to their usual dynamic, and laughter fills the car despite the time being very close to midnight, and they had both been awake since five in the morning.

But, like all drives, they have to reach their destination sooner or later, and _gods,_ Pidge wished it had been much, much later. She momentarily parked in front of his apartment and looked to him with a smile.

“Well, I’ll, uh, talk to you soon, yeah?” She looked up at him, and felt her cheeks warm at his expression.

“Yeah, of course.” He smiled back at her, and butterflies fluttered in her stomach. He turned to open his door before he paused and looked back. “Actually, do you want to come in? It’s been ages since we, y’know, just talked. I don’t want this to end.”

Pidge’s eyes widened and she was sure her entire face was on fire. She looked hesitant, however, unsure if she should. “But, we have work early tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right…” He looked absolutely chestfallen and Pidge caved.

“You know what? Sure. It’s, it’s been too long. Just tell me where to park.” She said, turning and missing the bright smile Lance gave, along with the darkening of his cheeks just like her own were.

All too soon, she parked and walked with Lance up to his apartment on the third floor. It was messy, but Pidge had never really seen it very clean in the first place. Out of all their mutual friends, Allura or Hunk were the top cleanest people, with their spotless houses and ordered closets and dressers. Though, Pidge always counted herself at the very bottom, but kept saying it was organized chaos that only she understood.

Lance’s kind of mess was cleaner than Pidge’s. The floor was still very much visible, and it looked more homey, unlike Pidge’s explosion of mechanics and home-living.

The two sat on the couch and shared some wine Lance seemed to always keep a half-bottle full - seriously, it was a different kind from the last time Pidge had come over, and yet it was just as used, she had to wonder if he always ate dinner or something with a glass of wine - and talked about how their lives were. They barely cared about the time, and while it felt like hours, it was really only closer to a single hour passing before the first yawn.

“I should have something you can wear to bed, Pidge.” Lance said, following the yawn with one himself. “You could re-wear that for work, it’s appropriate enough right?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Lance.” She smiled sleepily at her friend.

She was given a huge shirt that fit her like a nightgown, a blue shirt with the faded words of ‘voltron’ across the top. Pidge had a matching one, but it was fitted her size and green, and when she was given his, she couldn’t help but feel warm in the face.

Once she was changed, she bit her lip. “Where should I sleep?” She asked, since it was very rare for her to come over to Lance’s for a sleepover, and when she normally did, it was as a group and they would crash on the couch or floor in the living room.

“Oh, right. Uh, I was thinking, if you want to, I mean, we could, you know,” Lance rambled, his face slowly growing redder and redder with a furious looking blush reaching his ears, “share? My bed? It’s big enough, and, you know, we shouldn’t be uncomfortable during work, and we’ll rest easy because it’s a very comfortable bed, you know I need my beauty sleep and stuff and-”

“Lance.” She cut him off, knowing her face was more obvious in her blushing. “Let’s just go to bed.”

Lance stumbled over his feet as he led the way to his bedroom, where the mess was actually limited in places. His desk held the worst of it, but the rest of the place at least had the facade of a clean room.

They settled into bed, each taking a half with room between them as they fell into sleepy conversations, talking about nothing. Pidge simply liked to hear Lance talk, and her eyes drooped until she fell asleep, hearing Lance talk about some design he was thinking of pitching to the team in the coming weeks.

xXx

The next morning, Pidge felt arms wrapped around her waist, and a warmth pressed against her back, legs tangled with other limbs and blankets. It took a second to connect what happened last night to figure out what happened and her heart almost stopped. She was in Lance’s apartment. She was in Lance’s bed, in his shirt - and not much else. She was flush against Lance’s chest. She slept in his bed. With him.

And she absolutely was smitten with her current predicament. She hummed softly and snuggled backwards, closer to the warm chest. She could stand to be a little late getting to work today, the whole building was lax on day-after-functions.

x **Two Weeks Later** x

It was near the end of a long, long shift, and Pidge was dead on her feet. She was staying much later to hopefully get all the results on her desk so she wouldn’t have to do that the next morning. The only thing making things bearable was Lance was taking her out for a dinner date and he told her she wasn’t going to have to worry about how she looked.

The fact the two called it a date gave her a bit of an energy boost. She was _dating Lance._ Lance liked her back! She had been feeling like she was living a dream since that morning. Lance had kissed her when he was still half-asleep, like it had come naturally after yawning out a ‘morning, Pidgey’ that melted her heart to goo.

They were both _very_ late for work that day, talking things out after that little accidental confession-like wake-up call. But they were both much, much happier when they separated for work.

It would be their second official date, and the two had decided to keep it from their friends and colleagues, at least for the moment, but whenever she had the odd lunch with Hunk, she was bursting at the seams to tell him everything. She was sure he had an idea of what was happening, because he made off-hand comments with smirks and sly smiles. Out of any of her co-workers and/or friends, she knew Hunk would be able to figure things out before anybody else.

“Ah, Katie!” The voice came from behind her and shocked her back to the present. She turned with wide eyes to see Ricardo jogging to catch up with her. He looked very bright-eyed at this late evening. “I was hoping to find you before you left.”

“Oh?” She pulled the clipboard she had been scribbling in to her chest like it would protect her from him. She had been lucky to have not seen him or had to interact with him much at all since the function. Her luck must have run out. “Yeah?”

“Yes, but we can walk and talk.” He said, dramatically gesturing for her to start walking again. She did after a moment of hesitation, continuing her way to her lab.

“What did you need to talk about?” She asked slowly, holding her clipboard tightly between her hands and to her chest.

“I was simply wondering how you found those test samples to be. They were very fascinating when I got to them.”

Pidge nodded along as he talked and talked and talked. She made noncommittal sounds and vague agreements, her mind on autopilot as she heads to her lab and gets to her desk, Ricardo following every step of the way.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something, Katie.” She zones back in to see the two were alone in the room. All her other co-workers in this section had gone home hours ago, she knew, but seeing how empty it was, and how Ricardo seemed to try to look bigger than he was with his too-nice smile and demeanor.

“Uh, what is it?” She asked, already deciding after she can get out of this conversation, she was heading over to Lance’s. She was getting hungry and antsy, and she had almost all the results and papers ready. She could grab the rest when she got in tomorrow.

“You’re single, right?” Her posture straightened, but he kept going. “Which has always been such a shame, you know. You’d be anybody with a brain’s first choice, looking so gorgeous and sweet and smart.”

“I, uh-” She tried to speak, but he cut her off.

“You are really something else, Katie.” He was so earnest, it would be flattering if it hadn’t been coming from someone who set off all of Pidge’s alarm bells in her head. Even worse that he never seemed to get the memo that she didn’t like being called Katie. “You’re so smart, it’s intimidating to be around you for long, and yet.”

When had he gotten so close? He was a foot away, and then just half a foot away before he finally stopped, Pidge backed up onto her desk.

“And that’s not even breaching the subject of your beauty. You are a wood nymph.” She flinched at his flowery attempt of… what was this, flirting? Was he flirting with her? It felt like he was dissecting her with his eyes. “An absolutely stunning girl.”

He cupped her face with a hand and she shuddered away, pushing him forcefully away from her. He looked confused and hurt, but the moment he opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off with a shout.

“I have a boyfriend!” She shut her eyes as she shouted, her hands in fists to her sides.

The room was silent for several long, torturous seconds and she cracked an eye open. He looked shocked, primarily, but something was making him frown and it twisted her stomach. Gods, she just wanted to go home, was that too much to ask?

“You… have a boyfriend?” Ricardo asked, the strange unknown emotion on his face making his expression blank.

She nodded slowly, opening her eyes again. “Yes. I have a boyfriend.”

“How long have you been together?” His voice and expression were beginning to creep her out worse than before, and her mind raced to all the things her mom had told her to buy to stay safe. Now she’s regretting not ever getting pepper spray.

“It really shouldn’t matter how long I’ve-”

_“How long?”_ He stalked forward, and Pidge had to stumble backwards until her back hit a bookshelf, her eyes wide.

“I don’t have t-” She tried to deflect, but this time Ricardo seemed to have enough, and grabbed her by the throat.

“Who has taken you away from me?!” He screamed the order and Pidge froze, desperately looking for a way out.

“Let - ngh - go of me!” She cried, struggling to get air when he squeezed his hand around her throat.

“It’s that designer, isn’t it?” Mania. That was in his eyes. A manic glint framed by a terrifying fury that Pidge couldn’t figure out what she should do. “That bastard, thinking he could take you away from me.”

She managed to hit hard enough on Ricardo’s arms to make them bend, and she slipped out of his grasp, coughing as she got air back. She stumbled back, looking around. She had all her stuff in the staff locker area, but she had to get away from Ricardo to grab it all and hightail it. Seeing a chance as he took a step towards her, she swung as hard as she could at his face, right-hooking him full on the cheek and he almost fell to the ground, catching himself on the bookshelf.

Before he could recover, she bolted, slamming through the door of her lab as her heart hammered like mad. Her eyes grew wider when she heard the heavy thumps of another pair of shoes running after her, and felt tears prick the corners. Judging by the sounds, she would not get to the lockers before he caught up.

Thinking as quickly as she could, Pidge remembered there was a bathroom with a lock nearby, and veered off towards it. She barely opened and slammed the door shut, locking it as fast as shaky hands could allow, before the door thudded loudly, making her jump. She leaned her entire body against the door, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, her feet planted to try to keep the door from being opened.

“Katie, open the door!” Ricardo ordered, his voice booming.

Shaking, Pidge grabbed her phone from her pocket, thankful she had it on her at all times. Holding it in her hands, she paused, tensing every time Ricardo seemed to slam his entire body against the door. With barely anyone there, no one would even know what was happening unless they were walking through the halls. The chances of someone saving her on accident were slim to none.

She struggled to think of who to call. Her first thought was to call Lance, but she didn’t want him anywhere near Ricardo. With a quick press, she held the phone to her ear, flinching with every thump against the door.

_“911, what is your emergency?”_ A neutral-sounding man asked after the first ring.

“Please help me.” She whispered. “I’m trapped in my work’s bathroom by-”

“KATIE OPEN THE DOOR!” Ricardo shouted before he slammed into the door again, and she heard something crack.

_“Are you in danger?”_ The operator asked, his voice calm. _“Where do you work?”_

“I think he’s going to hurt me.” She continued to whisper, but even her whisper was cracking. “I, Altea Science Division. I’m in the bathroom close to the front, where the staff lockers are.”

_“Does your work have security?”_

“I-I think so. I don’t know the number for them though. Please, help.”

Another slam, and another crack. Ricardo was actually bashing the door open.

_“I am sending a message through to Altea Science’s security, ma’am. Stay on the line with me.”_ The operator said.

“Okay, okay.” She kept repeating, every time the door was slammed into. “What do I do?”

_“Remain calm, security will be there soon.”_ He said, but she wasn’t sure how well she would be able to follow instructions with her heart in her throat. _“What happened that started this?”_

“I, I don-I don’t know. He just started to try asking me out, but got angry when I said I have, I have a boyfriend.” She said.

_“I’m sorry to hear that, ma’am. Is there anything in the bathroom that you could use to protect yourself?”_

“I don’t know.” She cast a glance around the room, but couldn’t find the strength to get up.

She heard sounds coming from outside the bathroom and froze, holding her breath. Several footsteps, and slam into the door that made her flinch, before the sounds of struggles.

“What are you-KATIE GET OUT HERE-let go! If I can’t have you, n…” The words trailed off, far away.

Then there was silence.

_“Ma’am? Are you there?”_ The operator asked, bringing her back.

“Yeah, yes, ah, I am.”

_“Has security arrived?”_

“I, I think so.” She nodded, just as the door knocked.

“Is anyone in there?” A rough-sounding woman’s voice called through the door and Pidge almost cried.

_“That’s good to hear. I will leave you in their hands.”_ The operator said.

“Tha-thank you, sir.” Pidge quickly said before she hung up and scooted forward, away from the door, calling out to the woman outside. “I-I’m in here.”

“Are you able to unlock the door? The man has been apprehended and escorted away.”

Pidge is honestly unsure if she can handle standing up, but she decided to try, regardless. She felt more like a newborn calf, but she got her legs under her, and unlocked the door. It swung open to show a woman about Pidge’s height but with more muscles and padding with her uniform. She had a hard expression, taking in her appearance before stepping back.

“Come on. You’re safe.” She said, extending a hand to Pidge. “Were you on your way to the lockers?”

“Uh, mhm.” She nodded quickly and shakily stepped out of the bathroom, looking everywhere for where Ricardo could have been taken.

“You don’t need to worry, he’s been taken away by my partner tonight.” The security guard answered her unasked question. “Do you have a car or should we wait for a friend of yours to pick you up?”

“I, uh, I drove here.”

“Okay. Let’s get your stuff and then I’ll walk you to your car. I don’t suggest driving just yet. Do you need something to drink?” Her words were soothing to Pidge, relaxing her and stilling the shakes.

She nodded again, and the two walked slowly towards the water fountain just around the corner of the bathrooms. She drank deeply and soon caught her breath, her heart finally starting to slow down.

“You okay?” The security officer asked after a couple seconds of Pidge just standing with her head bowed over the fountain, no water coming out of the spout. “Are you sure you’re good to try driving home?”

“I’m… I’m good, I’m going to my, my boyfriend’s.” She answered, straightening up with a deep breath. “He doesn’t have a car, though, so I can’t ask him to pick me up.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” The other woman shrugged, and the two went off to the lockers, where Pidge grabbed her bag and coat, exchanging them with her lab coat and goggles she had forgotten about.

Once she was ready, the guard escorted Pidge out of the building, her presence calming Pidge enough that she was no longer shaking and she was able to distance herself from everything that happened. She didn’t want to think about, not until she was home, or with Lance, and able to just let go with someone she knew close by. She knew she would have to fill out forms, and possibly a restraining order if things continued, but that was not for tonight. Tonight she had to collect herself and prepare for the morning, and she needed Lance right now.

“We’ll tell your superiors about the incident.” The guard said as Pidge got into the driver’s seat, her door open. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they let you have tomorrow off so you can decompress or something.”

“Thank you. What’s your name?” Pidge asked, only then trying to see in the lamplight for a nametag, but unable to read it very well.

“Mel. You’re the Holt girl, right? I’ve seen you around during my late shifts a lot.” Her expression twists a bit into sympathy. “I’m sorry this happened to you. But be assured we won’t let this happen again.”

“Mel, thank you. Seriously.” Pidge smiled. “And call me Pidge, yeah?”

“Pidge? Sure. Drive safe now.” Mel stepped away as she shut the door for her. She waved at her until Pidge started the car and pulled away.

Through the rear-view mirror, Pidge saw Mel watch her for a second longer before she walked back towards the building.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [ LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:  
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